Gaseous fuel



July 10, 1928.

J.R.ROSE

GASEOUS FUEL Filed Aug. 13, 1917 2 Sheets-Sheet l irma.

Patented yJuly 1o, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES REUBEN .ROSE, OF EDGEVTORTH` PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 CARBO- OXYGEN COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION Oli DELA.-`

WARE.

eAsEoUs FUEL.'

Application ined August 13, 1917. seria; n. 185,978.

VThis invention relates to gaseous fuel and more particularly to the production of -gaseous fuel to which I have applied the name carbo-hydrogen and which is particularly adapted for use in connection with the cutting and welding art.

It is the general object of the invention to producea gaseous fuel which will be of a high heating value but which Will require other gases requiring for their combustion .a large amount of oxygen.

As 1s well known, a typical illuminating gas hasapproximately the following composltlon:

Percentage by volume.

CO2 Illurninants s 10 Also, as is well known, natural gas is principally methane, having the. formula 'CH` While either the artificial or-the natural gas may be used for cutting or welding purposes, the relatively high proportion of the carbon constituent in either of these Vgases requires for its combustion a large proportion of oxygen, making their use for cutting or welding purposes very expensive.

The gas which forms the subject matter of this application is a gas containing hydrogen and hydrocarbons of .high `heating value and which is fixed under the conditions surrounding its commercial use, being capable of compression andstorage'in tanks or cylinders without separat-ion Vunder a pressure of from 2000 to l2200 lbs. per square inch.

.In producing theA gas, natural' gas or oil is conducted 'through a retort or generator having a refractory lining, the said gas ror oil and an additional hydrocarbon Huid being subjected to such heated refractory lining. Vhere the lining is maintained at a temperature of about 2200o F. and oil or other liquid hydrocarbon is used, the resultant gas will contain approximately 85% of hydrogen, 10% of a gas ofthe CIL series y and 5%of other hydrocarbons. By increasing the temperature of the refractory lining, the poi-portion of hydrogen will be increased and the proportion of the hydrocarbon gas constituents will be decreased unt-il, at about 30000 F., the resultant gas will contain hydrogen in approximately the proportion of 98% ,to 2% of the aforesaid hydrocarbons. By decreasing the temperature below 2200 F., a. larger proportion of hydrocarbon gas and a V.smallervproportion ot' hydrogen will be produced. A proportion of hydrogen less than 80 percent and of hydrocarbon gases in excess of 2O percent in the final gas vwould render the same' unacceptable to the trade in most instance, because of the' large amount of oxygen required for the combustion of the hydrocarbon constituents p thereof. The gas such asis produced at a temperature of 2200o F. and having substantially the proportions of hydrogen and hydrocarbon gas set" forth is particularly efficient for cutting and weldingwith oxygen and is the gas referredt'o hereinbefore and sold to the trade under the name of carbo-hydrogen The gas having, the higher proportion` of hydrogen and the lower proportion of hydrocarbon', produced atvthe temperature of about'. 300,0? Ff, is

particularly useful for burning lead In the drawings forminga part hereofv I have illustrated a 'form of 'apparatus which isparticularly well adapte'dffor. producing the gas referred to hereinbefore', this apparatus forming the subject matter of my application No. 64,100; which has matured intovr Patent No. .1,252,032, -issued January 1, r'15918, vvof which application the-present application is a continuation in part. In

y"these drawingsyFig." 1 is' a longitudinal Vertical sectional vie't through an apparatus capableof realizingllthe process of lproduc-` ing my gaseous fuel, said section being taken through the central portion of the generator one'side of the trap, and the central portions of the scrubbing and enriching tanks. Fig. 2 is a View, partly in section and partly in plan` of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, the section being taken just above the pipe 8; andl Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail, partly in section and partly in elevation, of the connections for supplying fluids to lthe bottom of' the apparatus. i

- Describing by reference characters the various parts illustrated in the drawings, 1 denotes the outer shell and 2 the refractory lining and filler of a gas generator, which generator is shown as cylindrical. This refractory lining and filler may be of any suitable well' known material, and the generator is so constructed as to provide a front flue 3.and a rear flue 4 communicating at their upper ends by a transverse passageway 5.

Refractory material 2a is arranged in checker-work formation within the fines 3 and 4 as well as in a chamber 3a projecting from the bottom of the flue 3, said chamber being adapted to receive an enriching fluid in a manner to be described hereinafter..

It will be observed that the bottoms of the iues 3 and 4 and the chamber 3a are-l0- cated a distance above the bottom of the generator body, lwhereby an ample thickness of refractory material 2b is vprovided below such chambers.

6 denotes a partition, preferably of sheet "steel, extending transversely across the generator between the flue 3 and chamber 3' and thel flue 4 and extending from the bottom of the generator upwardly to a distance below the topv of the refractory dividing wall 2?. This partition prevents seepage lof gasesfrom the flue on one side thereof to the flue on the opposite, side thereof. 7 denotes a chamberextending upwardly from the inner or Arear endof thelchamber 3,

lpreferably substantiallyl as high as the parti` tion 6, and having in the upper portion thereof a spray p1 e 8.

9l denotes an in et connection pipe communicating with the front or charging wall oftheV generator 1 and discharging into the' bottom of the flue 3. This connection is provided at its outer end with a gate valve 1'0 and is' extended, as indicated at 9, to a suitable air blower (not shown). 11 denotes a nozzle through which a suitable pre-heatin fluid (such as gas, or liquid hydrocarbong mixed with air (if desired) may be introduced into thebottom' of the iue 3beneath the arch 3'. vThis nozzle preferably extends axially 4into the connection 9 and is adapted to receive gaseous and liquid fuel fromthe pipes 11F, 11F?, respectively, each having a valve, indicated at 11, '11, respectively, there being an injector nozzle 11 within thev pipe 11 in operative v.relation tothe lateral 16, the lower end '15 of such pipe branch extending from said `pipe and to which the pipes 11b and 11t are connected whereby, if` desired, the gas which is 'supplied through the pipe 11a may be used in cooperation with either of the fluids supplied through the pipes 11b and 11t and, in the case of oil, assist in injecting the saine.

The'flues 3 and 4 and the chamber 3a are provided with the checker work filling of refractory material referred to hereinbefore and indicated at .2, while the transverse passageway is provided with an outlet connection 13 having a weighted blowofl` or pressure-relief valve therein, the operating handle whereof is indicated at 14.

From the arch 4a at the bottom of the flue 4 there extends an outlet pipe 15, the discharge end of which projects into a vessel being sealed by suitable liquid within the receptacle. Projecting upwardly from the outlet pipe ,1.5 is a pipe 17 having afpressure relief valve therein similar to the valve in the pipe 13, the operating handle of the valve being indiated at 17i.

From the top of the receptacle 16 and having its inlet end above the liquid therein extends a pipe 18, which communicates with the bottom of the scrubbing tank 19, having a series of transverse, perforated partitions th'ereinwi'th suitable porous material 21 on said partitions and a spraying nozzle 22 in the upper end thereof above the uppermost partition and the material thereon. From this scrubber a pipe 23 extends into a tank 24 which may contain a hydrocarbon liquid of one of the higher br richer series, the pipe 23 being provided with peri from thev scrubber may be further enriched. l

From the enriching tank 24 a pipe 25 leads "to a storage tank jor to the point of use.-

'From the front of the generator 1, there project pipes or connections 26 which provide means for applyingr pyrometers to thechamber 3 or for the application of instruments for ,estimatingthe temperature byobservation, as by a color test.

In operation, gas (artificial or natural) or liquid hydrocarbon (such as crude or refined oil) is introduced into ,the bottom of the flue 3 and chambera from the pipe 11 or the pipe 11", respectively. In the case of gas, the gas will be introduced under the ordina city or tankpressure; in the'case of oil; the fuel will be pumped or sprayed into the bottom of the chamber; in: either case, the hydrocarbon fuel is mixed Iwith air, or

steam, asmay-be desired; where air is used i itis preferably supplied through the pipe 9. This mixture of hydrocarbon and air,

being ignited, burns in contact with the reof the pipe 17, 'the valve being 'opened or" lifted by its handle 17a for the purposeof facllitating the discharge1 ofsuch gases.

After the blowing-up" or preheating operation, the -fiuid Which is tobe broken up and otherwise changed (preferably natural gas) will be introduced into the bot-tom of the front chamber throughthe pipe 11, said pipe being provided with the valve 11g.

8, there will result, from the reaction which 'discharged into the liuev7 through the pipe takes place in the generator under the inlilience of the heat retained in the checker work refractory llingf and the heat resulting from the combustion of the carbon deposited on suchfilling, a gas which, when the lining is at substantially the temperature of 22000 F., will contain approximately 85% hydrogen, 10% of a gas of the methane -(CH) series and 5% of hydrocarbon gas of high heating value produced by the decomposition of the .hydrocarbon or hydrocarbons of the benzene (CSHQ) series con- This fluid, coming int-o contact with the pre-t tained in the oil or oils.

heated refractory .material,will, in its long and tortuous passage through the heatedl zone thus provided be partly dissociated into carbon and hydrogen. In order to enrich the gas thus produced, aliquid hydrocarbon, preferably of higher specific gravity than that introduced into the bottom of the ber 7 is within the refractory filler- 4and in such proximity to the liues 3 and 4 as'to be heated thereby. Some of the solid carbon which willA be produced will be carried through the generator and deposited' in the trap 16. A large proportion of such solid carbon will, however, be deposited upon the refractory material 2a and will -be consumed during the next blowing-up or preheating operation, thus utilizing its heat of combustion in the production of' the enriched gas in the generator.

Through the dissociation of the gas introduced through the nozzle 11, hydrogen in a nascent condition will be produced, along with carbon monoxide. Will .ordinarily occur within the first eighteen lnches ofthe vertical movement of theunder the conditions hereinbefore set forth will result in theproduction of a lixed gas,

having a higher heating value and requiring far less oxygen for its combustion than the fluid whichv was 'introduced' through the nozzle 11. Where natural gas-is the gas or This dissociation The gas thus produced in the generator 1 will be conducted through the trap 16, which will trap any solid carbon that may be present, and will -v then be conducted through the scrubbing tank' 19, as explained heretofore, and may then be further .enriched, if desirable, by being discharged lnto and through the hydrocarbon liquid in the enriching tank 24.

erable quantity of solid carbon willbe de-v I posited upon the refractory material with which the generator chambers are supplled. This will furnish a material part of the D'combustible agent whereby the. refractory material will be heated during the next blowing-up operation.I

In the practice of the process, the. refractory material '2EL eliminates from the gaseous and liquid fuels subjected thereto a large amount of carbon which is not only an unnecessary, but an undesirable, constituent of gases employed for cutting and welding purposes, because such carbon requires forv` its consumption a large amount of oxygen and this oxygen is not oxygen present as an ingredient of the air but isthe commercially pure and expensive oxygen 'employed in the cutting and welding art.

Where thev temperature in the enerator is about 22000 F., and oil or like llquid hydrocarbon is employed, the resultant gas w11l contain about 85 per cent hydrogen and 15% of a hydrocarbon gas produced bv the decomposition of the benzene (06H6) series contained in Where the temperature is about 000 F., the resultant gas contains about 98% hydrogen and 2% of the gas or gases produced by the decomposition of the liquid containing a hydrocarbon or hydrocarbons ofthe benzene (06H6) series. Where-a tempera-l ture lower than 2200 is employed, a

such liquid hydrocarbon. I

duced by limiting the proportion of the smaller proportion of hydrogen and a larger proportion of the gas formed lby the decomposition of the hydrocarbon or hydrocarbons of the benzene (Cel-Io) Vseriesl will be produced.

In actual practice, I have -supplied one barrel (fifty gallons) of forty degrees Baume gravity oil per hour through the pipe 8 and have supplied natural gas to the generator atthe rate of thirty cubic feet per minute and as a result have' produced the gaseous fuel, carbo-hydrogen 'at the rate of one hundred ysixty cubic feet per minute.

While, as stated hereinbefore, the proportions of hydrogen and the gas produced by the decomposition of the hydrocarbonor hydrocarbons of the benzene (06H6) series will vary in accordance with the temperature in the generator, the best results in the cutting and welding art have been hereto .pro-

hydrogen constituent between 80% and 98%, with a corresponding limitation in the gas produced by t e decomposition of the hydrocarbon or hydrocarbons of 'the benzene (CBI-I6) series of from 20 per cent to 2%.

An analysis of a sample of my gas taken from one of the. regul'ar cylinders indicated the following composition:

, Percentage by volume. Unsaturated hydrocarbons 1.0 Oxygen ..3 Carbon monoxide 1./7 Methane 13.7 Hydrogen 82. 9 Undetermined 0.4

Another sample of gas from the same cylinder was then chilled to minus 158 F. As a result of this chilling 1.85 grainsl per cubic foot of light liquid was separated, said liquid boiling between 80 F. and 140 F; and

consisting of a trace of unsaturated hydrocarbons, butane, pentane', and a trace of benzol. The gas remaining after the separation ofthe liquid was analyzed, indicating the following composition:

, Percentage by volume. Unsaturated hydrocarbons, such as ethylene or acetylene v Oxygen Carbon monoxide 1 Methane 13. Hydrogen 82. Undetermined 1.

The sample of gas was then passed into liquid air after having been chilled to minus 73 C.` Atthe temperature of` liquid air, approximately minus 183' C., there was a further separation of. liquid. Upon analysis, this liquid proved to lbe similar in composition to the unliqueied gas with the exception that the percentage of higher hydrocarbons was increased and hydrogen was not liquefied; 11/2 parts of the material re- 2. A gas for cutting and welding with` oxygen, containing not materially less than of hydrogen; not materially less than 10% of methane, not materially less than 1% of unsaturated gaseous hydrocarbons,

lnot materially less than of bnta-ne Iand pentane, and not materially more than 5% of earbon monoxide.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature.

JAMES REUBEN ROSE.

- and welding with'- 

